For me, it was about finding another challenge and a way to see constant measurable growth. A key thing that kept me from breaking the addiction earlier was the social time I got gaming with my cousin. He and I would play almost every night and that was a major portion of my social interaction. If I was going to stop gaming into the early morning hours each night, I would need to find additional ways to get that social interaction.
I decided to start digital gardening and producing a YouTube channel instead. I still game, but limit it to one or two nights a week.
Key Reasons People Play Video Games